World War II Database

Country of Origin	Czechoslovakia
Type	Handgun
Caliber	9.000 mm
Capacity	8 rounds
Length	200.000 mm
Barrel Length	120.000 mm
Weight	0.900 kg

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe initial prototype for what eventually would come to be known as the CZ vzor 38 handgun was made in 1936; it was designed by Frantishek Myshka. On 1 Jun 1938, this double-action-only weapon was approved for manufacture for the Czechoslovakian Army. The production was given to the weapons manufacturing firm Ceska Zbrojovka. The design called for the usage of .380 ACP or 9-millimeter Browning ammunition. The design also specified the barrel to be attached to the frame by a hinge, thus allowing easy disassembly for maintenance. On 14 Jun, an order in the quantity of 41,000 units was placed. The first 20 units were completed by 11 Mar 1939 for field testing. Czechoslovakia was annexed by Germany shortly after, but the production plans continued without any hindrance as the German Army also showed interest in the new handgun design. By the end of 1939, all 41,000 units were built and delivered to the German military, which designated them Pistole 39(t); officially, these handguns entered service on 29 Feb 1940, and usage manuals were published on 20 Apr. Most of them were distributed to personnel of the second-line German military (Army and Air Force), while others went to men of the Reich Labor Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst) and the Organization Todt. Later, an additional 3,000 Pistole 39(t) handguns were made specifically for the Luftwaffe. Finland received either 1,713 or 1,731 units (arriving on 26 Sep 1940), while a number of them was also exported to Bulgaria. Those sent to Finland remained in storage until the 1980s, and at that time they were sold into the civilian market.

Source: freeexistence.org, jaegerplatoon.net, Wikipedia. ww2dbase

Last Major Revision: Nov 2009

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